UC Berkeley sexuality class under fire

[Momof6]

The student-run course is suspended after party and strip club allegations.

By Terri Hardy -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 5:30 a.m. PST Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002
UC Berkeley suspended a male sexuality class Friday after the campus newspaper published allegations that students watched their instructor have sex at a strip club and participated in an orgy at an extracurricular party.

The suspension was announced after student instructors of the male sexuality class failed to attend a meeting with a university official Friday, said Marie Felde, a spokeswoman for the University of California, Berkeley. An investigation into the course was launched two days ago.

"Those sorts of activities are not part of the approved course curriculum," Felde said. "We need to find out what the situation is. All we have now is a report in a student newspaper."


A female sexuality course is also under review, Felde said. Instructors named in Friday's story by the Daily Californian could not be reached for comment.

The courses were offered under the university's "democratic education" or "de-cal" program, which are sponsored but not funded by the university. They are organized and run by student instructors and can be taken for credit toward graduation. Other such courses are Blackjack, where students are taught how to count cards, and Copwatch, which advises students "how to safely and effectively assert their rights when interacting with police."

Christy Kovacs, a UC Berkeley freshman who was enrolled in the male sexuality course last semester for two units, told The Bee that some students in the class were involved in an orgy at a party. The party was held to introduce students from other sections of the course and was not mandatory, Kovacs said.

Some partygoers also took Polaroid pictures of their genitalia, to show that their bodies were not disgusting, Kovacs said. The shots were viewed at the party in a "respectful way," she said.

"It was just a fun, harmless get-together," Kovacs said. "Anything weird that did go on was kind of behind closed doors, and no one really knew about it."

Another student, Jessica McMahon, told the Daily Californian that a group of students in the male sexuality class chose as their final project a trip to a gay strip club. Students watched instructors strip and have sex, the newspaper reported.

Kovacs said her class also took an optional trip to the Garden of Eden strip club. There, a member of the group who was not a student or instructor stripped on stage, she said.

"They didn't even take off all their clothes, and there was no sex," Kovacs said. "It was a class bonding experience."

Kovacs said the class was a positive experience and should not be portrayed in a "scandalous, negative light."

De-cal courses must have a written course proposal, department chair approval and sponsorship by a faculty member, said Janet Gilmore, a UC Berkeley spokeswoman. The campus' Web site said the faculty chair sponsor is ultimately responsible for content and grades.

Caren Kaplan, chairwoman of the Woman's Studies Department and sponsor of the sexuality classes, had reviewed the course description for the male sexuality course but was not provided with a detailed course syllabus, said David Dowall, chairman of UC Berkeley's Academic Senate, which represents faculty members.

Kaplan could not be reached for comment. In an interview with the Daily Californian, Kaplan said she offers advice to student instructors but "doesn't police the content" of the courses.

The female sexuality course curriculum is posted on the campus Web site and includes porn star Nina Hartley as a guest speaker and a "possible trip to a strip club." Other topics in the female sexuality course are women's health issues, violence against women and body image.

UC Davis offers offbeat courses such as a fire walking seminar or blues guitar through its "Experimental College" but the courses are not for credit, said Jake Lashbrook, manager of the program.


Hey, maybe you all were right about the value of higher education. Just look what I'm missing. Hopefully, our tax dollars weren't used. It did say no university monies were used, but the kids get college credit for this............higher ed..........it's a beautiful thing!!!

[hammegk]

Cody & I have been chatting about this very story in the 'Another post by a moron' thread...

Love the Califunia system of Educatio (rhymes w/ fellat..)

[CodyChaos]

Originally posted by momof6
Hey, maybe you all were right about the value of higher education. Just look what I'm missing. Hopefully, our tax dollars weren't used. It did say no university monies were used, but the kids get college credit for this............higher ed..........it's a beautiful thing!!!

Talk is cheap. Lets see you turn down all the medical advances brought to you by higher education the next time one of your kids gets a serious illness. Your family doctor didnt learn how to save lives by going to church.

As far as hamme, the other thread has degenerated into nonsense. I dont see why a UC needs to offer this course, but as long as they arent using university money for it then as far as I care they can do what they want. One, non departmental class involving one teacher and a handfull of students is paltry in comparisson to the thousands of classes and tens of thousands of faculty and students involved in the UCs. I really dont get how someone can be against higher education, especially people like you two who I imagine utilize the benefits of countless technologies, developed in Univesity labs, everyday.

[Aphasia]

Good for them....the university isn't paying for it, so why do you people care? It's actually really important to learn about sexuality - it shapes our society so much, and it affects personal interactions and self-image and politics and....
I took a human sexuality course, and I feel like I have a more complete view of society now - it's considered an anthropology course at my school, and it does cover society really well. I don't think you can get a decent education in the fields of anthropology or sociology while ignoring sexuality, because it's such a driving force in the way our world works.

[Snouter]

At UConn, I don't think they had a lot of sexuality courses because there were too many real orgies going on. I have two college degrees and I am the first to admit I feel those experiences brought my formal education up to the high school level equivalent of the early part of the 20th century. There was so much fluff and nonsense in the regular courses I experienced throughout my experience in the American system.

I minored in psychology at UConn and went to about half the classes and passed no problem because each course was the same crap regurgitated in a slightly different way. They had different names for the classes like general psych I & II, industrial psych, developmental psych, social psych, study of personality; anything of substance was common sense. The reason I minored in psych was because I was an English major and my senior year the school said I was supposed to have a minor concentration in order to graduate. I notice that I already had psych I & II complete, so I figured I would take a few of those to complete the requirement. I had to take 3 in my last semester in addition to a course on Mark Twain and course called the philosophy of religion. It was a hassle. Most of my friends had enough foresight to only need to take 3 or 4 courses. Still, like a good trooper, I managed to party when possible.

I was recently at the Yale University Medical School Library. They allow visitors who live in the New Haven area for quick research. I checked out the med program and if someone is lucky enough, that would be a neat program to get into. It consists of basic coursework with an emphasis on a thesis which they expect you to commence very shortly after your classes begin. They don't grade you and they don't worry if you miss classes. You gotta luv that.

Freed from the usual anxieties provoked by examinations, students tend to learn for their future rather than for tests. Competition for grades is eliminated and students are eager to help one another. Class spirit is remarkably high year after year

I would have tried to get good grades as an undregrad had I known about Yale graduate schools.

The truth of the matter is that the American Education system is a great place to meet people and network socially, but in the words of Thomas Sowell, "They have taken our money, betrayed our trust, failed our children, and then lied about the failures with inflated grades and pretty words. They have used our children as guinea pigs for experiments, targets for propaganda. They have proclaimed their special concern for minority students, while placing those students into those colleges where they are most likely to fail. They have procaimed their dedication to freedom of ideas and the quest for truth, while turning educational institutions into bastions of dogma and the most intolerant institutions in American society. The have presumed to be the conscience of society and to teach ethics to others, while shamelessly exploiting college athletes, overcharging the government, organizing price-fixing cartel , and leaving the teaching of undergraduates to graduate student assistants and junior and part-time faculty, while the tenured faculty pursue research and its rewards."

[u8nxprt]

Hey, I didn't even get any credits for it... It was all home study.

[jwreck]

Damn, that sounds like a class I might even show up for.

[Manu]

Snouter-
Believe me, at UCLA you can't skip half the classes (for most courses) and hope to pass :-)

Cody-
You basically hit the nail on the head. This is a case of two classes with prolly 100 students. UCLA has 36,000 students alone. I am sure UC Berekely is right around there also. So 100-200 studdents out of 72,000 were involved in this? How horrible!

KT-
Good for them? Please don't tell me you actually endorse the fact this was going on? I agree learning about sexuality si VERY important...but this CLEARLY crosses a line. WHo cares? It is a course ENDORSED by the University and it is a course that people get credit for. If they wish to learn/explore sexuality why not have an on or off campus club? Frankly, the acts that are alledged have no place being associated witha FOR CREDIT COURSE at a University.

Becky-
Your article was great, but the little nudge at the end of your comments seems a bit confusing. You're using a small isolated incident to invalidate higher education? The californians? The UC system? Can I use the fact that the Boston Cardinal alone is launching a probe into EIGHTY pedophilia allegations? Does that invalidate all christians? Does that make the faith corrupt?

I will let you decide.

[SilverStreak]

Was it part of the class itself, or an extra curricular/lab type of part of the course?

I remember for extra credit in a Psych class I used to sign up for some experiments the grad students were conducting at school. Nothing quite as [choose your own adjective here] as an orgy, but some abnormal stuff....

Ended up dating a grad student too...

[Momof6]

Originally posted by Manu
Becky-
Your article was great, but the little nudge at the end of your comments seems a bit confusing. You're using a small isolated incident to invalidate higher education? The Californians? The UC system? Can I use the fact that the Boston Cardinal alone is launching a probe into EIGHTY pedophilia allegations? Does that invalidate all Christians? Does that make the faith corrupt?

I will let you decide. [/b]

Glad you liked the article. I do think that this type of thing is (hopefully) rare, but everything I have read, says that classes having to do with sex or revolving around sex are becoming very predominate on campuses. And contrary to popular belief...life does NOT revolve around sex nor do societies revolve around sex. Yes, they have sex and yes they procreate, but they don’t sit and discuss it nor is it the focal points of their social lives, nor should it be. Some people’s lives and identities do revolve around sex and it's place in their lives, but society as a whole sees it as something private and not to be experimented with in school.

Higher education has an important role to play and I don't deny it. But, we have come very far and I don't think it was what it used to be. It is too much influenced by government and groups who have agendas to push, as opposed to teaching the necessities of a certain field. I personally don't think kids should have to take English Lit all over again or do basic math either. Those should have been learned in middle and high school. Tests should be given and if proficiency is there, the subject skipped. And I do not think for a moment sex should be taught and credit given for school.

I have friends who's daughters and sons were home schooled who have kids in the CA colleges...actually one got a full scholarship to UCSD over in La Jolla (what a place to be!!) She plans on going into the arts...acting to be precise. So no, I don't have a problem with higher ed. Just as long as they stick to teaching the things to make one useful to society and orgies and sex aren't way up there on the list, IMHO!! But, on this we agree...

As to Californians...some are ok, some are not...just like the rest of the world.

As to the Catholics, I have given my opinion about the hierarchy of the Roman church many times and shall not get into it here except to say that I hope the pedophiles receive punishment to the full extent of the law. And I have stated before, that just because someone calls themselves a Christian does not make it so, any more than if you sat in the garage and called yourself a car would you be a car. And that does not just pertain to the Roman church, but all denominations of Christianity. A Christian is one who accepts Christ as Savior and Lord and lives by His tenants (as found in the Bible.... the only place you find Him referred to as the Christ), and obeys His commands. Tell me...if you met someone who drinks, does drugs, and screws everything that moves...would you assume that the person was a Christian? NO? Now, they may have followed Him once, but if they have turned away from Him, they are no longer His follower are they? They could turn back, but if they continue in the way they go.........when the time comes, He will say to them, "Depart from me.... I never knew you."

Many people in many denominations think they are saved by sprinkling or whatever, but that doesn't save...they never have a change of the heart. And that is the difference. As to the pedophiles in any denomination, they may have known Christ at one point, but He said "if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a stone tied around his neck and thrown into the deepest part of the sea." Those are harsh words and I believe them. Pedophiles who do their evil deeds under the guise of the name of Christ are doubly damned and hopefully will receive their punishment in this life and in the future HELL. The hell part is between God and them.... the jail time is up to a jury.

I hope this answers your question.

[Manu]

Originally posted by Momof6
Higher education has an important role to play and I don't deny it. But, we have come very far and I don't think it was what it used to be.

I am not sure about this statement. I think that higher education is much the same: what you get out of it. Could it be that more people are going into high education now than before? And that is the change? The research, the medicine, the historians, etc all coming out of higher education are not 'worse' than before, and there are more of them!

[quote]It is too much influenced by government and groups who have agendas to push, as opposed to teaching the necessities of a certain field.[quote]
Thats not the point of higher education. Thats why there is vocational training. Higher education is still 'general' education. It is just a 'higher' form of it. The goal is to teach specifics, but to further also the literacy, the computative abilities, and the general advanced understanding that a person who gets a BS or a BA has.

I personally don't think kids should have to take English Lit all over again or do basic math either. Those should have been learned in middle and high school. Tests should be given and if proficiency is there, the subject skipped.

Two things. AP (Advanced Placement) and SAT IIs. These are two exams that pre college students can take. If a satisfactory score is taken they can get out of most, if not all BASIC lit/math requirements.

For example, I took some AP tests.

They are score 1-5, 5 being the best.
Calculus AB 4
Chem 4
Computer science 3

I got credit for the intro series calc class with that score. I got credit for intro level chem with that score.
I got unassigned credits for the CS, since I needed a higher score.

I took 3 SAT IIs (as the UC system requires)
Math, English, and chem.
The math, if I wan't an engineering major, of 720 (out of 800) would have gotten me out of any humanity math reuquirements. My lit made me pass the prificency/placement exam, but was 10 points shy of waving my writing/lit requirement.

Further, most UC schools requires foreign language profieicny. If on their test you pass at a higher level, you wave X amount of quarters of requirements. In this manner, all quarters required can be waived.

So the point? You can indeed not need to take it over if you show a firm understanding. If you do not, take it again.

And I do not think for a moment sex should be taught and credit given for school.

What do you mean by sex?

[quote]As to Californians...some are ok, some are not...just like the rest of the world. [quote]
I hope im on the good side, even though I like arguing with you. :-)

And I have stated before, that just because someone calls themselves a Christian does not make it so, any more than if you sat in the garage and called yourself a car would you be a car.

On this I can agree, but with some qualification. This is not just someone. These are the HOLY men. These are the priests...For example, if Ford decided Manu's were the best selling car around...as ridiculous as it may seem, it would be hard for me to not be called a car. I personally think those men are far from God and far from holy, but the fact is they are recognized as 'holy men' by the church.

I hope this answers your question.

I think you may have mistook my comments. I was NOT implying that 'all christians are evil cause these priests are pedophiles.' I was trying to show a like example where even though a faction within a group behaves in a certain manner it does not invalidate that group or what they stand for. I firmly believe that, EVEN THOUGH these men are preists and not just members of the 'flock.'

Make sense?

[CodyChaos]

Originally posted by Momof6

And contrary to popular belief...life does NOT revolve around sex nor do societies revolve around sex. Yes, they have sex and yes they procreate, but they don’t sit and discuss it nor is it the focal points of their social lives, nor should it be. Some people’s lives and identities do revolve around sex and it's place in their lives, but society as a whole sees it as something private and not to be experimented with in school.

I beg to differ. Ive mused that in American society the predominant day to day motivations are 1. Accumulation of Wealth 2. Accumulation of Status and 3. Sex
Just look around you. What do people do on the weekends? They get laid. Obviously this phenomenon is more prevalent amoungst single, virile, people but its one of the proinciple motives behind a good deal of social interaction. Look at this message board for christ sakes in the relationships forums. You have huge threads about fixing sexual relationships or trying to get girls/guys.

Granted not everyone spends such large amounts of time searching for sex but a significant amount of people do. Hell guys in general masturbate on a daily or semi daily basis. Its no coincidence that pornography is a multi billion dollar industry. This is all just in the US. Go to Europe and in the big cities girls can hardly walk own the street without getting cat calls and propositions.

People discuss sex constantly. **** that radio Show Love Line is nationally syndicated and gets callers from across the country with a vast number of sexual related problems. Virtually every sitcom on TV involves sexual tention as a plot line, not to mention the soaps that deal with the topic almost exclusively.

Granted sex is viewed as a private issue by society in generall but it constantly lurks under the surface of everyday public life.

Originally posted by Momof6
As to the pedophiles in any denomination, they may have known Christ at one point, but He said "if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a stone tied around his neck and thrown into the deepest part of the sea." Those are harsh words and I believe them.

Gotta love that Christ guy, wasnt a real big fan of objective criticism was he.

[igofast]

Originally posted by Momof6

The female sexuality course curriculum is posted on the campus Web site and includes porn star Nina Hartley as a guest speaker and a "possible trip to a strip club." Other topics in the female sexuality course are women's health issues, violence against women and body image.
[/i] [/b]

For the record, Nina Hartley spoke at my college. It was funny, interesting, thought provoking, and yes, even educational. There was also a film theory class on porn films. I didn't take it, but a couple friends did. They signed up expecting to just watch porn every day, which they pretty much did, but it also ended up provoking a lot of thought, theory, etc, on issues of objectification, morals, freedom, and much more. There is educational value in things that you condemn and education is NEVER a bad thing.

[Klassy_Kat]

I'm taking a class dealing primarily with pornography right now, and there is a surprising amount of critical appraisal to be done in the theory behind the cumshot.

[DngrMse]

Originally posted by CodyChaos


Talk is cheap. Lets see you turn down all the medical advances brought to you by higher education the next time one of your kids gets a serious illness. Your family doctor didnt learn how to save lives by going to church.

And did that doctor learn how to save lives at a strip club?

[igofast]

Originally posted by DngrMse


And did that doctor learn how to save lives at a strip club?

The class consisted of a whole lot more than a trip to a strip club. While I don't necessarily agree with the class (I can't say, I don't know the full details), there is plenty of critical thinking and discussion that could happen after a trip to a strip club, watching a porn, or something of that nature. Again, perhaps it doesn't belong in a University, but you certainly can learn from it if you're in a mindset that allows you to. Some people think sex ed shouldn't be in schools. Some people protested a gay and lesbian film class at the college I went to. Who's to say what's right and wrong?

[jwreck]

Originally posted by DngrMse


And did that doctor learn how to save lives at a strip club?

Maybe as part of his anatomy studies.